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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23909839">Czegóż płaczesz? // 'Ingratitude'</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marta_Ayanami/pseuds/Marta_Ayanami'>Marta_Ayanami</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Voltron: Legendary Defender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Completed fic!, Gen, Hepta's PoV, because there's nothing that's contradicting canon in this one just so happens, ficlet that's completely headcanon but completely canon compliant this one at same time, headcanon prequel to s 3 ep 5 "the Journey" because I have twenty different ones in my head</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 19:15:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,537</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23909839</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marta_Ayanami/pseuds/Marta_Ayanami</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Hepta is, as some saying on some backwards planet goes, DONE, done with Project Kuron. No matter what Druids say, Project Kuron is failure upon failure, failure squared, no, it's more than failure squared, it's whole daibazaal really, well, damn, not literally, almost no one uses that literally anymore, daibazaal it all.</p><p>It's as if they have no daibazaaly reason to wake up, daibazaal it all, really. He was just going to be remembered at this job, after being done here someday, as the worst person at any job at any cloning facility, ever, one who's done squat, because none of the clones were operational. Damn.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Czyżyk młody (Young Siskin) / Zrodzon (Born / Birthed)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em>"Czegóż płaczesz? - staremu mówił czyżyk młody -</em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>Masz teraz lepsze w klatce niż w polu wygody".</em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>"Tyś w niej zrodzon - rzekł stary - przeto ci wybaczę;</em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>Jam był wolny, dziś w klatce - i dlatego płaczę".</em>
  </p>
  <p>Ignacy Krasicki, "Ptaszki w klatce" ("Birdies in the Cage")</p>
</blockquote><p>Hepta is, as some saying on some backwards planet goes, DONE, done with Project Kuron. No matter what Druids say, Project Kuron is failure upon failure, failure squared, no, it's more than failure squared, it's whole daibazaal really, well, damn, not literally, almost no one uses that literally anymore, daibazaal it all.</p><p>It's as if they have no daibazaaly reason to wake up, daibazaal it all, really. He was just going to be remembered at this job, after being done here someday, as the worst person at any job at any cloning facility, ever, one who's done squat, because none of the clones were operational. Damn.</p><p>One day, Hepta decides to experiment. All that is done here are doubtful experiments, anyway, the High Priestessess' idea. And Hepta's experiment probably won't work, but at least it might be relaxing? And what's the worst that could happen because of it?</p><p>That one clone will die? Quiznak, they were dying in spades nowadays, for various stupid Earthly reasons and deficits. (Eathlings were too delicate, High Priestess' Haggar's weird project was too weird, and impossible, in Hepta's opinions. If all clones so far were ailing and failing, why would any new one be any different, hmmm?? That's right!)</p><p>So, just like that - nobody would notice one missing one, Hepta's decided.</p><p>*******</p><p>It was the middle of the night. Most clones turned out to be blind, so it's not as if, if that one turned out to be blind, too - not as if it being the middle of the night would make any difference to the subject animal, well, Earthling (Earthlings were animals, weren't they? Certainly not plants, so, animals), anyway.</p><p>When everyone else (not counting animal subjects) left the cloning facility after today's work, Hepta remained. A friend called him a workaholic, but Hepta ignored that.</p><p>An hour later, making sure nobody was watching, and after turning off all the cameras (they sometimes turned themselves off, there was a lot of accidental power outages in this particular cloning facility, so it was all good, anyway, he could just lie tomorrow that there was a power outage today.</p><p>Now, there was a question that Hepta faced. Which clone? They were probably all failures, anyway, so Hepta amused himself with a few Galran and a few Altean counting rhymes, and when he was finally bored, settled on the pod 'chosen' by the last Altean counting rhyme Hepta muttered.</p><p>The Galra read the designation on the pod. <em>Subject Y0XT39, huh? Doesn't really matter which one, probably a failure, anyway.</em></p><p>Hepta opened the pod and dragged Y0XT39 out, getting his own uniform all wet. He mussed Y0XT39 fur, the white patch, because he was always curious whether it was soft or rough, but not tests Hepta was a part of involved checking that out. Hm, not too rough?</p><p>He kissed it to make sure.</p><p>Hm, not as soft as could be, the fur (hair?), but not as rough as in some. All right?</p><p>When it came to fur, Hepta specialised in various areas regarding fur, and so, had a lot of professional curiosity.</p><p>And then, there, now, something completely unprecedented happened, and at first, Hepta yelped and freaked out a little -</p><p>First, Hepta felt a jolt, in... somewhere deep inside, a jolt, a drain, maybe, and then--</p><p>Then---</p><p>then, the subject animal <em>spoke</em>, even though all previous ones failed to do so. The subject animal spoke, and said, clearly asleep or half-asleep and not awake enough to process the true reality around it, it spoke,</p><p>"Please, Adam, five more minutes. I'm still too sleepy. Okay?"</p><p>Hepta wondered what's an 'adam' and began shaking Subject Y0XT39 awake, for the first two vargas, but Hepta could sometimes get stupidly determined when it came to even most pointless things, when he felt as if a subordinate or a subject was lacking discipline.</p><p>Sometimes. Not always.</p><p>"No more 'minutes', soldier, you're waking up NOW!"</p><p>Subject Y0XT39 stirred and sat up. Slowly, it seemed that at least some of the subject's senses began to work and connect with reality - Subject's hearing, perhaps? - as the Subject turned into the general direction of Hepta.</p><p>"Iverson?" Y0XT39 asked, some kind of confusion in its voice.</p><p>"Sure, I am an 'Iverson', your personal one, whatever you say, pet," Hepta replied, wondering what's an 'iverson' anyway, but deciding not to argue with another failed pet. Or perhaps, not failed, this time? It was moving, just a little bit. It was talking, even if the words didn't make much sense so far.</p><p>Progress?!</p><p>And all it took was letting it out of the pod and touching its head's fur. Perhaps head's fur was very important for human beings. Who knew? Hepta decided to spend next three hours with Y0XT39, then go back to the pods, and stuff Y0XT39 back in its. With no one the wiser.</p><p>YES!</p><p>Perfect.</p><p>So perfect.</p><p>"Pet? I am a pet?" the animal asked.</p><p>"Yes, you are, for the next hour, I guess, mine. Then I'm stuffing you back where you belong, where you'll die before the week's over, speaking from my experience when it comes to you all here. Whatever."</p><p>"I don't understand, Iverson... and... where did Adam go? And why will I die?" the animal, Y0XT39 asked, speaking, no doubt, with some Earthling words, like 'iverson', or 'adam', that Hepta just didn't get at all.</p><p>Hepta groaned.</p><p>This was going to be the long three 'relaxing' hours.</p><p>After this, he might decide to never, ever, ever relax again.</p><p>"Adam went to work," Hepta replied, drily. It was hard to say what the animal was thinking, and whether it was still blind, or not. It had its head now turned in Hepta's general direction, but the functional sense of hearing could explain that much. So, blind or not? Who could say. Hepta was no doctor, just commander at this daibazaaled facility for people who failed at better work.</p><p>"Oh, okay."</p><p>Hm. Progress? That remained to be seen.</p><p>"As for why you will die, Y0XT39, it's because, I'd assume you're a failure like every subject here. Unless you're not. So, tell me, Thirty Nine, are you a failure?"</p><p>"I don't understand."</p><p>Hrm. Less progress? Really, it was too early too judge, Hepta reasoned. For now.</p><p>"Thirty Nine. Are you alive?"</p><p>"...yes?"</p><p>"Good work, bravo, good one, solier, keep it that way. I'm sick and tired of all you animals constantly dying, how can I get promoted if you're being like that?"</p><p>"I'm... very sorry? I don't mean.. to die...?"</p><p>"You should be! I'm the one who's inconvenienced yet again if you die, and only I. You should know that. So, order: live until next month. Show some promise."</p><p>"...I'm sorry?"</p><p><em>Let's take this as progress</em>, Hepta thought.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Lepsze w klatce niż w polu wygody // Comforts and Conveniences (Caged)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Wave. Wave. Wave.</p><p>Subject's gaze didn't follow the movement.</p><p>That's it, he checked, this clone was as blind as a freshly born yalmore before feeding.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Wave. Wave. Wave.</p><p>Subject's gaze didn't follow the movement of Hepta's hand right in front of Subject's face. So, this animal subject, too, was faulty, after all. Of course. Hepta expected nothing else. This was just - an experiment? Trying to do something on his own instead of seeing doctors and druids do same things day in, day out, with all cloned animals, expecting different results? (Animals, nonGalra, same difference, almost.).</p><p>That's it, he checked, this clone was as blind as a freshly born yalmore before feeding.</p><p>Wave. Wave.</p><p>Hepta for a moment wondered how it'd look if anybody, right now, walked in, and saw him, in front of this batch's ThirtyNine, which was pathetically and barely almost upright sitting on the floor, as blind as a baby yalmore. Also, it made a strange noise with its... stomach...?</p><p>"That noise," Hepta asked. "What are you trying to, hm, say?"</p><p>"Hm?"</p><p>"That noise, explain it, soldier, that's an order!"</p><p>"O-oh.... Iverson, I, well - my stomach grumbled?"</p><p>Hepta's eyes narrowed. He looked at the animal with suspicion.</p><p>"Why'd your stomach grumble, cadet?"</p><p><em>Might as well pretend the subject is a cadet of some sort, for convenience,</em> Hepta decided.</p><p>"That's because I'm hungry," Subject Y0XT39 replied.</p><p>He was evidently trying to look at the floor, now, which was pointless, seeing as his eyes couldn't, right now, see anything anyway.</p><p>So Hepta wondered why he was doing that. Was that something the High Priestess installed in the programming? Or was this a natural part of the original source material 'Shiro'? Or simply an Earthling thing? There was so very much to learn, Hepta realised suddenly.</p><p>But why learn things that wouldn't matter?</p><p>"You're hungry," Hepta said, just to make sure, "And your stomach makes this growl, this <em>ooooooouuuuuuoououououo, </em>when you're hungry?"</p><p>There suddenly seemed to be some kind of change of slight change on Y0XT39's cheeks, some kind of blush, perhaps? Who knew, who could tell, with those nonGalra subjects? And his voice seemed slightly strained, as ThirtyNine uttered, "Y-yes-s."</p><p>"All right. What does Shiro eat? Wait, I'll look it up. Wait here, for a few ticks. And whatever happens, don't move. Don't even blink, who knows if that's not damaging to your eyes right now, which might get operated on, if you'd be so lucky and everything else functions well."</p><p>"I'm... lucky?"</p><p>"Are you alive?"</p><p>"...yes?"</p><p>"Are many others from before you?"</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"No, they're not. I mean, previous five hundred seventy four of them. And you are, yet, alive. That makes you lucky, pet."</p><p>"Oh."</p><p>"See? Now, don't dare move, or I'll dispose of you. The High Priestess won't notice."</p><p>"Oh."</p><p>"But if you're <em>good, </em>I'll feed you. See, I like you. You talk. Even if it's pure Earth nonsense."</p><p>"Oh."</p><p>"Why do you keep saying that?"</p><p>"I... my thoughts are scrambled, Iverson."</p><p>"And why's that?"</p><p>"My head. It's like - spikes in there. And hammers. And bees."</p><p>"Kill the bees, then. With determination. I hate bees."</p><p>"Oh. Okay."</p><p>"See? You're fine," Hepta said.</p><p>"But the bees sound like Haggar."</p><p>"Oh, yes, she often sounds like worst bees. True enough. My sympathies."</p><p>"Th-thank you, Iverson?"</p><p>"Hey, no problem. Now, no moving. I'll get you Earth food. In a tick."</p><p>Y0XT39 nodded. Evidently he had trouble following, still. Nodding was a <strong>movement. </strong></p><p>Hepta went to the kitchen.</p><p>When he returned with some little white grains and some meat (he didn't bother checking names of that, just checked that it was indeed Earthly edible, and, hm, tried out a bit himself, too, and found he enjoyed white grains, that was an interesting flavour, if very simple), he found the Clone, the Subject, in a slightly different position, and now trying to stand up.</p><p>How was that NOT MOVING?!</p><p>Fine, let him break his legs, at least he'd then see.</p><p>There had to be consequences to this new soldier's (wait, could a subject truly be a soldier? It had no mind, did it?) insubordination.</p><p>Subject Y0XT39, he... stood up. And then immediately fell down, or rather, began to - and as it was falling, Hepta run up to it and caught him. <em><strong>Him?</strong></em></p><p>Why not. It was a personshaped male shaped Black Paladin shaped puppet subject after all, wasn't it, might as well be a 'he'. As far as Hepta knew.</p><p>"You could've broken your legs. They're very new."</p><p>"Thank you, Iverson."</p><p>"Hepta."</p><p>"Hm?"</p><p>"My name is NOT Inverson. I'm Hepta, and I'm your commander now. If I tell you to jump into fire, you will. If I tell you to kill the Green Paladin, you will."</p><p>"No."</p><p>"What?" Hepta asked, brow raised.</p><p>"No. Why would I kill Katie?"</p><p>"Fine, fine, you can't kill the Green Paladin. But, could you jump into fire?"</p><p>"...yes?"</p><p>"Splendid. So, if I say jump, you jump. Yes?"</p><p>"...yes? Who are you?"</p><p>"Hepta. Your commander."</p><p>"Hepta. My commander. Since when?"</p><p>"Since right now. Makes sense?"</p><p>"...yes?"</p><p>"Good," Hepta said.</p><p>He didn't expect to have conversations like this, THAT pointless, with Subject Y0XT39. Why did he let this one out of, so to speak, the cage, again? Ah, right. Pure chance. Maybe the one next to him, or in the other row, would be more quiet, more obedient. With Hepta's poor luck, that could very well have ended up being the case. But right now, there was only him, and Thirty Nine, and many sleeping or dying, or sleeping and dying, clones, aka subjets, aka animals, all around, and really, who knew if any other would've been less irritating?</p><p>"Hepta. Who are you really, Hepta?" the clone suddenly asked.</p><p>"Your commander. That's all you need to know. What do you me to say, huh, Y0XT39? That I'm your father or what? You don't have one. So now, just eat in peace."</p><p>"Hepta. Commander. Father?"</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"But my father has a diffrent name. But, am I me?"</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"Father?"</p><p>"Fine, call me 'father', Subject Y0XT39, but now, just eat your meal. It's tasty. Especially those white grains. Meat is just meat, I've found that I never particularly enjoy any kind of meat, anyway. You might enjoy it."</p><p>Subject Y0XT39 suddenly grinned like a person, turned his head in Hepta's general direction, and said,</p><p>"Thanks, father."</p><p>Mhm, they'd have to do something about brain. Of the Subject. It surely wasn't working quite properly yet.</p><p>But...</p><p><em>I have a son, </em>Hepta thought, suddenly. It wasn't true, as they were in no way related, but why NOT have a son for the next two hours? It made no difference, anyway.</p><p>"Just eat, ThirtyNine."</p><p>"Oh. Okay, father."</p><p>"Shsh. When dogs eat, they don't bark."</p><p>"Oh. Okay."</p><p>Hepta watched as his 'son' tried to eat. He only had one arm, for now, that 'son', because this was the batch that already had their right arms cut off, for future convenience, and.. well, Subject Y0XT39 seemed to have trouble trying to feed itself with one arm only.</p><p>Hepta sighed, dragged the Subject, the fake Earthling (well, not so fake, his DNA was real, just copied) to the kitchen table, chained him to the chair to make sure he wouldn't fall down, and began to feed him gently, just putting the food in Subject's mouth, and pushing it further, too, when the Subject couldn't swallow.</p><p>"Thank you," Thirty Nine said, after.</p><p>"No problem, ThirtyNine," Hepta said, almost smiling. The clone seemed more and more funtional, after all, and that, right now, that he's went so far with no medics and no druids - was, to Hepta, at least for the moment, a point of pride. Hmm...</p><p>"No problem, son. Shiro," Hepta added.</p><p>The animal (Eathling, human, more or less an animal, right, with how primitive they seemed to be?) smiled softly. And Hepta realised that if this one proved faulty as well, hm, maybe he could secretly take him (nobody would notice, there were plenty) home as a pet? Why not, after all.</p><p>"I don't think you're my father," ThirtyNine said. "I remember another."</p><p>"I adopted you," Hepta said. "I'm the father, the priestess is the mother, if you wish, no, don't mention that to her, now you're adopted. Happy?"</p><p>"Y-yes???"</p><p>"Good."</p><p>"So many memories are rushing into my head... are they mine?" Thirty-Nine asked, rubbing his own forehead suddenly.</p><p>"No, they're 'Shiro's'. But that's why they will be yours."</p><p>"No... but.. yes? I don't understand."</p><p>"A weapon needn't understand. A spy needn't understand, either. Just eat your meal."</p><p>"Because you're adopting me?"</p><p>"No, because you're hungry," Hepta said, slowly getting irritated. "But that, too, if you wish."</p><p>"But... I'm Shiro?"</p><p>Hepta shrugged.</p><p>"You're probably another flawed specimen, so, who cares. You're Subject Y0XT39, and you're lucky I chose you. You can eat for the first and last time, probably, in your life, doesn't that sound good?"</p><p>"Hmmm..."</p><p>"Doesn't it?"</p><p>ThirtyNine began to eat. Again, he couldn't manage. And so, Hepta continued to feed him.</p><p>After a varga, he was done with it.</p><p>Soon after eating, the Subject, Y0XT39, fell asleep. So, truly, it was good he had chained him up. Hepta left him there, on the chair, and left. No need to wake Thirty Nine up for no reason.</p><p>If tomorrow anyone asked why there was one of Subjects in the kitchen, Hepta could just say that he, Hepta, was bored, or curious, and experimented a little. If it was dead by tomorrow? Nobody would mind, especially not the High Priestess, as there were many more Subjects in this Operation. Operation Kuron.</p><p>********</p><p>Next day, Hepta came to work in the early morning, same as everyday. But he was very surprised to find medics and druids observing ThirtyNine in ThirtyNine's pod.</p><p>And he was even more surprised to suddenly see the High Priestess.</p><p>She praised Hepta's good work last night on the project.</p><p>"You found a functioning one. You should've informed me, but I'll assume you planned to do so, soon."</p><p>"I- I was still planning to make more certain of his functions!" Hepta replied.</p><p>"Good. But now, I'll make sure. However, he has a bond with you - until he forgets. And so, you're now to lead the Operation Kuron, commander Hepta. Under me."</p><p>What? Hepta was shocked. The whole Operation Kuron?! All the cloning facilities, not just this one in the middle of nowhere? All the stages? It was - a promotion!</p><p>***</p><p>After the High Priestess, Haggar, left, Hepta allowed himself to grin, and then opened Thirty Nine's pod and hugged the Subject.</p><p>"For all I know you'll die on your way to Voltron, but, Thirty Nine, thank you, for functioning! I was promoted!"</p><p>Thirty Nine opened his eyes slowly - and, with a start, Hepta realised those eyes could see, now - and grimaced.</p><p>"Who...?"</p><p>"Hepta."</p><p>"Father...?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"Hello, father."</p><p>"Hello, son. You did good."</p><p>"Oh. Thanks," Subject said.</p><p>The medics looked at them in confusion.</p><p>"What did you tell him?" One of them asked.</p><p>"Does it matter?" Hepta asked.</p><p>"No, because the High Priestess will erase all non-Shiro memories from Subject Y0XT39's conscious, subconscious, and unconscious mind," another medic said.</p><p>Hepta grinned.</p><p>"Exactly. So I can tell my <em>son </em>- the pet trusts that word - whatever I want, can't I? I would take him for a pet, if he was going into garbage."</p><p>"He's not."</p><p>"Then, you've heard the High Priestess, have you not? The bond, whatever that's supposed to mean. Till she erases that. In a month, perhaps, if the schedule is tight?"</p><p>Nobody could argue with that.</p><p>*****</p><p>Hepta dragged Subject Y0XT39 to the library. So to speak. It was a small room, with one terminal with some books and other stories from Earth.</p><p>He played some sound files with whole books to Thirty Nine. Thirty Nine really enjoyed listening, it seemed, so that was time well spent, because - because maybe that could stimulate ThirtyNine's brain a little? Any little bit surely could help.</p><p>"You're not MY father," Thirdy Nine suddenly said, after a few vargas. "And you're not MY commander. Who are you, Hepta?"</p><p>"You'd still be blind if not for me. Does that satisfy your curiosity?"</p><p>"Oh."</p><p>"That's not an answer."</p><p>"Thank you," Thirty Nine muttered, "Hepta."</p><p>"That's also not an answer," Hepta replied, still slightly irritated with the subject, the clone.</p><p>However, it wasn't the worse. The subject 'got him' promoted, so to speak, after all.</p><p>"You just might be worthy of a life, if just a short one," Hepta told Thirty Nine, on the spur of the moment.</p><p>He's never before seen any Subject smile so much, suddenly. And never ever saw, or any footage materials, the Prisoner 117-9875, the Black Paladin, smile so happily.</p><p>Hepta had to admit, he now truly felt a tinge of pride. What a good military pet. Worth the lost sleep yesternight.</p><p>Unless it would die tomorrow. But, it seemed so far that it wouldn't.</p><p>"Live," Hepta said, "until you get to Voltron, at least. How about that for an order? No matter how hungry you might get."</p><p>Thirty Nine nodded, still smiling, and then grinning even more at the mention of Voltron.</p><p>"Voltron..." Thirty Nine said, like somebody recalling one's lost religion, lost family, or both. With some kind of reverence or affection, or respect, or all of these, combined. Could Subjects feel that much, truly? Right, those were simply echoes of Prisoner's feelings, weren't they? So, Earthlings could feel that much? Fascinating.</p><p>Hepta smiled. Having a pet could be nice, after all. It truly could be.</p><p>"Hepta, please, are they alive?"</p><p>Oh, the Subject stopped smiling. Oh, well.</p><p>"Are they alive?!" Thirty Nine asked again, desperately.</p><p>Hm, it seemed that the planted memories of the real 117-9875 were taking root, settling in.</p><p>"The Lions of Voltron are as alive as I am, unfortunately," Hepta replied.</p><p>Thirty Nine smiled softly. "Thank you, Commander Hepta."</p><p>"No problem," Hepta said, trying and failing to still be angry with the Subject. But there was no need to be angry with him.</p><p>Progress was made.</p><p>"Say 'Vrepit sa'", Hepta said, on the spur of the moment.</p><p>"But.... I don't know what it means, Commander Hepta."</p><p>"Oh," Hepta said, and realised, for the first time, that maybe Thirty Nine had reasons to say 'oh' all those times, before.</p><p>Sometimes, nothing else needed to be said, save some sounds of confusion. And that was fine enough, for a conversation with a half-person. Fine enough.</p><p>"Hepta? Why can't you call me by my actual name?"</p><p>"That is?"</p><p>"Takashi Shirogane. Shiro."</p><p>"What? Thirty Nine, you honestly believe you're the escaped one, the Black Paladin, the Prisoner 117-9875? That's rich. You're not."</p><p>"...oh."</p><p>"I don't know why you'd have to believe that. Aren't memories enough, for infiltration? Eh, whatever. Whatever she decides, I suppose," Hepta muttered.</p><p>Still, whatever. What mattered was, this was all, accidentally, a great personal success.</p><p>"Good boy," he told the Subject, who, somehow, didn't smile this time, despite the standard praise for a good pet.</p><p>Hepta wondered. Maybe he still didn't quite understand Thirty Nine's functions? There was still time enough for that.</p><p>And where was the original, anyway? Maybe the High Priestess knew, but it was best not to ask her, Hepta decided.</p><p>"Good boy," he repeated to Thirty Nine.</p><p>Because maybe it just didn't hear the first time. And he could take good care of it, for now. There was no reason not to do so, as far as he was concerned.</p><p>He chose it, chose Thirty Nine, randomly, but still, out of all of the current batch, after all.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Jam był wolny (I Had Been Free)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Subject Subject Y0XT39's PoV in this chapter.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>I can't say I understand what's happening.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Commander Hepta implies that my life was spared, somehow, thanks to his intervention. But it was commander Hepta who left me for the whole night, chained to a chair, wasn't it? I couldn't move. I was... in panic. My arm - why did they take the Galra arm tech away?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Probably so I wouldn't be able to escape.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Commander Hepta - acts out a strange parody of friendship with me. I can't understand his motives. Is it pity? Or was he ordered to gauge my reactions?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I hallucinated seeing thirty other 'myselves' once. I know it was a hallucination. What else---- could it have been?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The witch, Haggar, came to the facility. She said things I couldn't understand. She called me a subject, and a weapon, but that's nothing new. She also called me 'a clone'.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I'm not a clone. So, is that some kind of a Galran codeword?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>************</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It's been four days since her visit.</em>
</p><p>"Commander Hepta?" I asked. He was making a dinner for me right now.</p><p>A boring one, most likely, and once with hardly any flavour.</p><p>But... but... Druids never did that, and neither did medics. Commander Hepta insisted that I'm not to be fed through the tube. It's strange. Why'd he care?</p><p>"Yeah, pet?" Hepta asked, giving me a passing glance.</p><p>"It's about my hair. Is it an experiment? It grows longer every hour. I don't understand it."</p><p>
  <em>Yes. I had to question it. It seemed... unnatural.</em>
</p><p>Hepta stared at me for a moment. Then a tick more. And then, he chuckled.</p><p>"Oh, pet," he said, "How do you think you're twenty five already? It's not just your fur!"</p><p>"I'm twenty five because I am twenty five. I was born twenty five years ago, in Osaka," I replied, getting slightly irritated, and not certain why.</p><p>"Pft! You were born in Osaka! Whatever that might be. Yes? And I'm Emperor Zarkon's wife, if so."</p><p>"I was born in Osaka."</p><p>"No, you were born here. Right here. Next door. Should I show you again?"</p><p>Suddenly, my breath hitched.</p><p>"N-no. No. No. No. No!"</p><p>
  <em>I don't remember. I-- I don't want to remember what I don't remember, those memories aren't from Earth or from Voltron, they're - pod, pod, pod, pod, table, pod - I don't want to remember, I don't, I don't, if I remember pod, pod, pod, pod, then I'm not Takashi Shirogane, not Shiro, not at all!!!</em>
</p><p><em>"</em> <strong>NO!!!!!!!!!"</strong></p><p>I couldn't stop shaking. I couldn't stop saying 'no'.</p><p>I couldn't stop feeling terrified.</p><p>
  <em>I don't know why.</em>
</p><p>Hepta smiled indulgently.</p><p>"It's all right, pet. I won't show you."</p><p>"Thank you. Thank you, thank you. Thank you..."</p><p>"You're welcome, pet... wait, I'm forgetting something, maybe I should call you.. I know!" Hepta said, looking suddenly very satisfied with himself. "Will call you what you are. Pet Shiro. All right, pet Shiro."</p><p>"Thank you."</p><p>"Don't worry, pet Shiro, I've just decided. If the High Priestess takes your other arm, I'll give her a stern talking to. Because I like you."</p><p>"Th-thank you."</p><p><em>I'm not a pet</em>, I thought, certain. <em>I'm Takashi Shirogane. Am I not? And if I am Takashi Shirogane, Shiro, the Black Paladin, Keith's brother, Lance's, Pidge's, Hunk's, and Allura's friend, I can't be a pet. Hepta is mistaken.</em></p><p>"Yesterday," Hepta suddenly said to me, "the Black Lion was seen from afar. Some reports say the Red Paladin piloted it."</p><p>
  <em>Keith. What a relief.</em>
</p><p>I smiled.</p><p>Hepta looked slightly confused, suddenly.</p><p>"Huh," he said, "I thought you just didn't develop your facial muscles much, yet. I was mistaken. Good. That'll make your job easier."</p><p>"My job?"</p><p>Commander didn't reply.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Przeto Ci wybaczę</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>T'is why I'll forgive you.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hepta learnt more and more about that one distant backwater planet, Earth. He had reasons for wishing to know. Namely, slight curiosity.</p><p>*******</p><p>This morning ThirtyNine stood up, on his very own, for the first time in his life, Hepta knew.</p><p>Truly, progress has been made. What an achievement.</p><p>Encouraged and now also armed with Earth knowledge, Hepta decided to be kind to the Subject today. Kind and playful.</p><p>He took a small stick out of his pocket and threw it.</p><p>Thirty Nine didn't give a chase. Hepta grumbled and walked away, thoroughly disappointed. Even when the Subject's legs gave under the Subject leading to an undignified collapse, Hepta didn't stop to look.</p><p>If ThirtyNine didn't accept him, as an owner, then just let ThirtyNine fend for himself.</p><p>Because such an act, not accepting him after being the very reason ThirtyNine still drew breath, that was just unforgivable.</p><p>He stopped, however.</p><p>In the doorway, Hepta stopped and asked,</p><p>"Why?"</p><p>He almost felt a glare, without looking.</p><p>"I'm not a dog!!!!!" the Subject screamed, too loudly. Bad manners.</p><p>Huhm.</p><p>Perhaps there was a confusion.</p><p>"I forgive you for that," Hepta said, and left the room.</p><p>Walking away, he heard,</p><p>"I don't. I will never forgive you, commander Hepta."</p><p><em>How utterly adorable, </em>Hepta thought. <em>I knew he'll like me. It's a bit upsetting that he won't even remember this. And likely will die while 'attempting escape'. And then what? They all seem faulty, other ones. <br/></em></p><p>****</p><p>The clone survived 'the escape', and how proud did that make Hepta, honestly, even if he was forgotten. But that was later.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Dziś w klatce</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Today - in the cage.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Today, when coming to work, Hepta was greeted by an incoherent scream. Not in his own direction.</p><p>And then he noticed a hole in the wall.</p><p>He knew that tonight the pet had his right arm installed. Though Hepta wasn't there to witness it. Did something happen? He went inside to check.</p><p>And then had to go deeper.</p><p>There were a few dead medics on the way. Well, huh, that happens, he supposed.</p><p><em>That's my pet, he felt attacked, so he attacked them, </em>Hepta thought.</p><p>Nothing wrong with that, really.</p><p>Then, he had to go deeper into the facility, still. Finally, he found him. With all the other Subjects from his batch. There, where they were still kept in the pods, asleep, dying.</p><p>Pet - no, Subject Y0XT39 was staring at the nearest pod, the one with, Hepta knew without checking again, in this row, it was the one with Subject Y0XT11, and why ThirtyNine was staring at him, screaming, and then panting loudly, Hepta had no idea. What, did he never look into the mirror? Wasn't this just a similar experience? He was simply seeing another himself. A clone, just like him. What was the cause for sudden wild panic?</p><p>Did the High Priestess already make Subject Y0XT39 forget he was a clone?</p><p>Hepta looked closely at the right arm. Y0XT39, naturally. There it was. Good. Properly installed. So, the time would come soon, to say goodbye to Thirty Nine, forever.</p><p>Likely. The High Priestess' creations weren't known for longevity in the face of Voltron, after all.</p><p>Y0XT39 suddenly... attacked...? Hit Y0XT11. Cracked the glass. And dragged Y0XT39 out of the pod. Carefully. Tenderly. And gently laid it on the floor, and knelt at his side.</p><p>"Hey," Thirty Nine said, to that thing, "Hey, wake up. Please, wake up. Shiro? Please, wake up."</p><p>Hepta came up to them.</p><p>"I don't know what are you doing, but I think I should tell you up front. Eleven doesn't have a throat. Even if you wake him up, he won't reply," Hepta kindly informed ThirtyNine.</p><p>ThirtyNine stared at him, eyes widening. In a very Galra or Altean emotion of horror, truly.</p><p>"This me-- this Shiro doesn't have --- <em><strong>doesn't have a throat?!</strong></em>"</p><p>"He doesn't. There was a slight mistake somewhere, just a very tiny one, pay it no heed. But because of a small mistake, this Subject - no, this defective Subject, quite unlike you - was born without a throat."</p><p>"Without-?!"</p><p>"However, you have a throat. And so, what does Eleven's state matter? I think you're getting too distracted."</p><p>"Dis-- distracted?! This is- a me - no, but - a human?! So--?! No, I'm not- distracted, I'm focused on saving - saving people from monsters!"</p><p>Hepta smiled a little. So that was a 'Shiro'. Interesting.</p><p>"Fine, save Eleven. For five vargas."</p><p>"Five hours?"</p><p>"Yes," Hepta replied. "According to today's schedule, Eleven is getting terminated in five hours from now, oh, actually, five vargas and two doboshes."</p><p>ThirtyNine glared at Hepta, then, carrying unsconscious Eleven in his arms, stood up.</p><p>Strange, really. Yesterday, he ThirtyNine could barely stand up for a moment, with nothing weighing him down save own body. Now, he was standing straight, seeming more confident, his legs not shaking - and all that, while carrying a weight weighing as much as ThirtyNine's own body, almost. Well, a bit less.</p><p>"I won't give up on him," ThirtyNine said. "He's just like me, isn't he? So I won't."</p><p>Hepta raised his brow.</p><p>"Why him? TwentyThree will be terminated, according to schedule, in eight doboshes from now. And Six will be terminated tomorrow morning."</p><p>The pet stared at him. Now his legs began to shake.</p><p>"But- but why?"</p><p>"Various defects."</p><p>"But why?!"</p><p>"I've told you already. Various defects."</p><p>Wasn't Y0XT39 even listening? Honestly. Clones. Did they become deaf with age, or what? Not that Hepta's ever talked to any other clones than ThirtyNine.</p><p>So truly, he didn't have any comparison.</p><p>Which was certainly for the best.</p><p>Meanwhile, ThirtyNine laid Eleven on the floor gently. After quickly reading the designations on the pods, he opened the one with Subject Y0XT22.</p><p>Hepta decided to just observe for now. Nothing was going to happen, anyway.</p><p>"Listen," Thirty Nine was saying to the living thing. "Listen, you have to wake up, and talk, and look around. And move. If you do that, now, quickly, they won't kill you. It'll be fine, I'll help. I promise."</p><p>Hepta decided to keep looking. What a strange Subject, moreso than Hepta already knew.</p><p>"Just wake up," ThirtyNine repeated, frantically. "I don't know what's going on, and why there are more of me, but if I'm Shiro, and you're Shiro - please, just wake up. If you wake up, they won't kill you. I'm sure of it, because I'm-- you? - but I'm not... and they didn't kill me. So, wake up! I won't let them, I won't give up, you hear me?"</p><p>Hepta, meanwhile, shrugged. It didn't hurt to indulge the pet and let him do this, for now, whatever strange kind of activity this was shaping up to be. He seemed very lively. Why not let him? It didn't hurt any. Anyone.</p><p>For now.</p><p>"ThirtyNine," the Galra said, deciding to indulge the pet, the soon to soldier, with some positive truths. "You're likely the only Subject who can independently survive. It just so happened. Those other Subjects? Failures. You, meanwhile - the High Priestess herself estimated that you are capable of staying alive for seven years. Hear that? Seven years, and you were made born practically yesterquintat. So, doesn't that make you happy, ThirtyNine? You can live, and bring glory. Even if you won't remember, soon, that your life is for the Galra Empire."</p><p>Another glare from ThirtyNine, more heated.</p><p>"N-no."</p><p>*******</p><p>ThirtyNine had to be given strong sedatives while the other clone was being terminated. All went well, at least. But, daibazaal it all with strong emotions, were all clones born with irrationally strong emotions, or was it just Pet, or did that come from the Shiro? The so called Champion? The gladiator? What memories were those, the Shiro memories, to make a barely experienced Subject, who hasn't been out for two weeks yet, try -</p><p>(That's why sedatives were used)</p><p>- try, with reckless abandon, to throw his life away against Druid Macidus?</p><p>For a clone?</p><p>Fine, Subject was a clone, too, but he was different, he was an <em>operational, functional clone. That </em>surely made Pet entirely different from other Subjects. </p><p>Hepta knew that much. Was certain.</p><p>But Subject behaved as if a person exactly like himself was being mercilessly slaughtered.</p><p>Which could happen, definitely, but why say it was happening, when only a faultier Subject was being terminated?</p><p>Eh, pets could be troublesome.</p><p>And didn't even chase that quiznaking stick. So sad. And insulting to Hepta's probably too tender, for just a Subject, care and affection.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Dlatego płaczę (That's why I'm Crying )/// Told by an Idiot</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>"To the last syllable of recorded time;<br/>And all our yesterdays have lighted fools<br/>The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!<br/>Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,<br/>That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,<br/>And then is heard no more. It is a tale<br/>Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,<br/>Signifying nothing."</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A/N: c!Shiro's, I mean, cloney's, PoV in this chapter.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Amazing. Isn’t this exciting, Shiro?</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Takashi, how important am I to you?</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>It will take a pilot who is a born leader and in contro lat all times, someone whose men will follow without hesitation. That is why, Shiro, you will pilot the Black Lion.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Shiro, you’re like a brother to me.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>I don’t care what you say, Shiro, I’m panicking now!</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Champion…. You were a legendary gladiator, undefeated in the ring.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Why would you hurt my brother? You were friends.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Shiro!....  If it wasn’t for you, my life would’ve been a lot different.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Listen to me. We don’t have much time. Wake up!</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>***************</em>
</p><p>Shiro gasped. He woke up. For a moment, he looked around, confused. Then, he spotted an unfamilliar Galra oficer.</p><p>Shiro tried to wake up, but he was bound.</p><p> </p><p>„Good morning, pet. I know from the medics and from Druids that the High Priestess was doing something to your memories again. Is that why you’re looking so out of sorts?”</p><p>The Galra wasn’t Ulaz, and Shiro had no idea why he even thought of Ulaz right now, except that maybe, he was dreaming about him, and about Keith, and about Hunk, and about Adam, and about Allura, and about Matt, and others… but dreams were – just dreams.</p><p>Just memories.</p><p>What was the unfamiliar Galra talking about, again? He said something about memories.</p><p>Shiro groaned. Memories… there were still holes in his.</p><p>„Pet?” the unfamiliar Galra said, no, asked, with something almost like a concern.</p><p>He was talking to Shiro.</p><p><em>He’s talking to me, and he seems almost… worried? </em>Shiro thought. <em>But I’ve never seen him before. Never. It’s strange.</em></p><p>
  <em>I… don’t get it.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But… Ulaz was right. I need to escape. Again. Quickly. Before it’s too late.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Too late for what?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Right, other paladins… Keith… Lance.. Hunk… Katie… </em>
</p><p>
  <em>And others, too, not just paladins. Coran and Allura, and Matt, wherever he might be, and commander Holt, and…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I hope Adam’s safe, the Galra didn’t attack Earth, did they? Adam, and Iverson, and Mrs Holt, and  others…</em>
</p><p>„ThirtyNine?” the Galra stranger asked.</p><p>
  <em>Thirty Nine what???</em>
</p><p>Takashi Shirogane blinked, and looked up at the stranger, uncomprehending.</p><p>„I don’t know what you’re talking about.”</p><p>„Wait, you really don’t? Oh.”</p><p>„What???”</p><p>„You forgot. You forgot everything. You’re now completely ‘Shiro’, aren’t you? And to think that... well, it's just a feeling I have, but when I first got you out of the fishtank, so to speak, yeah, I learnt some Earthling phrases - back than, I have a feeling that you accidentally sapped a little of my inner quintessence to wake up. Maybe, maybe not. Just a little bit. And now you don't even remember me, when you owe me everything in your existence?? That's weird. And it's not like you, ThirtyNine. It's not like you at all.”</p><p>„I’ve always been Shiro! What are you even calling me?? We've never met!”</p><p>„That’s what I’m saying. You’re now ‘always have been <em>Shiro</em>, that’s what she did. Goodbye, then. ‘Shiro’. There’s no more reason to talk again, I can coordinate your mission from afar. You’re deploying tomorrow. ‘Escaping’ tomorrow. Goodbye.”</p><p>Shiro’s eyes narrowed.</p><p>A strange man was NOT going to tell him when he was going to escape hell, that was NOT his call!!</p><p>He turned his arm on. He attempted to strike at the Galra oficer. Lethally, preferably.</p><p>But he saw, in a split second, something strange in the stranger’s eyes.</p><p>Something akin to a--- betrayal.</p><p>As if he was betraying this stranger he’s never, ever, ever met.</p><p>He turned his arm off.</p><p>He punched, just like any man would punch.</p><p>The Galra might just get a swollen cheek.</p><p>Actually, that happened.</p><p>He looked so disgruntled, the stranger Galra oficer.</p><p>Shiro laughed.</p><p>The Galra winced, and then, frowned at him.</p><p>He then offered him his hand, to help him up, and then—</p><p>„Excuse us,”</p><p>Somebody said.</p><p>There was somebody standing in a doorway.</p><p>A druid.</p><p>Hepta (Hepta? Shiro didn’t know that name, but he knew that name) cursed under his breath.</p><p>„Fine, take him from here. It’s not as if he’s my friend,” Hepta said.</p><p>
  <em>Friend.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Friend.</em>
</p><p>„You can be my friend, if you just, I don’t know, retire!” Shiro shouted, suddenly, half-knowing, half-remembering, and half not, what he was even saying.</p><p>„And that means what, exactly?” Hepta asked. „If you make promises, it’s just empty, around here, we usually deal with threats.”</p><p>„Threats?! Fine! Have this, then: I’ll never forgive you, and I’ll defeat you, yes, you!! When you come. Or when I come.”</p><p>„Good, then I’ll defeat you,” Hepta said, now smiling a little. „Let’s meet in battle, ThirtyNine.”</p><p>„We’ll,” Thirty One… Shiro… Thirty Nine said, „I will not forget you, even for a second, and that’s a promise. So, I’ll beat you, on any planet.”</p><p>„Good. Don’t die in space, in shuttle or whatever transport we’ll give you. Don't die, I'll know immediately, when you die. I'll feel it. And you know what? Just for you, I'll make sure not all subjects get terminated. Because you're so soft on them and all. You can terminate them yourself later, when you get bored of being soft.”</p><p>„I won’t die! Because I won’t give up, on fighting against you, someday. Because I can’t forgive—even you. Because even for you, I’m just a clone, not a man. You called me a pet. I’m not. And I won't stop being 'soft' as you call it, Hepta. I won't. You'll just see. I'll be back for other 'subjects', besides. Whether they live or die, I'll make sure Haggar doesn't torture them, that's... that's the only thing that matters. If they can't live. I... don't really understand what I'm saying, I'm barely remember, but I-- I'm making a promise, anyway. I'll be-- there.”</p><p>„Good,” Hepta replied. „Don’t be. You’re a soldier. And sure, be back.”</p><p>„That’s enemy soldier to you, sir.”</p><p>„Fine, sir,” Hepta said in reply. „Fight on. Let’s meet again.”</p><p>„We will,” ‘Shiro’ replied. „Someday. Remember, patience yields focus.”</p><p>„I’ll come to Earth if I have to, if you take too long,” Hepta said.</p><p>„Mhm, do so,” ‘Shiro’ said, frowning. „Just don’t bring Sendak.”</p><p>„Now I just might.”</p><p>„You’re horrible,” ‘Shiro’ said, wincing.</p><p>And then, the druid came closer.</p><p>And then, there was Darkness.</p><p>****</p><p>
  <em>Go. Be great.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>************************************************************</em>
</p><p>Takashi Shirogane, the Black Paladin (he was...had been....???) woke up, or so he thought, at least, he couldn’t yet be sure, as everything swam before his eyes.</p><p>The last thing he remembered was fighting against Zarkon.</p><p>And then, he thought he saw all the Paladins, but he didn’t.</p><p>And then, he thought he saw Ulaz, but he didn’t. There was something, there, deep down, if he could just reach—</p><p>„Ulaz?”</p><p>And then—</p><p>Somebody said his eyes are working. Final test.</p><p>He didn’t feel as if they were working properly. Not while everything in his vision was still swimming right before his eyes, unstable.</p><p>Those medics… liars, all of them.</p><p>And an overwhelming pain, and---</p><p>Not overwhelming, as if, whatever he lost, couldn’t be huge, not enough time, but a---</p><p>An overpoweing sense of loss.</p><p>No wonder he saw the Paladins, again and again. Maybe this was the loss. Or maybe this was something to reach for, in order not to feel the loss.</p><p>Shiro didn’t know.</p><p>He slowly remembered everything, or so he thought, but he no longer knew a thing.</p><p>And especially, he never knew, would never know, what was the point of number thirty nine, that flashed in his thoughts like a neon sign, and loudly like a thunder, but…when the number felt as if it had meant something, even if something horrid, something evil, perhaps, or something very inhumane, it still felt as if had held a meaning, a meaning that, like a violation, had been stripped, that felt like a violation, and now, it only meant, nothing, fleeting away, unreachable, uncomprehensible, there was nothing about that in his memories. Nothing about that was in Shiro's memories, so why did it feel-- but it only rang loudly, painfully in his head, unable to be caught and confronted head on, unable to give closure as the memory slipped---completely---something flew by---neon lights---disappearing---so loudly, with aches, and---there used to be something said, something degrading, ihumane, but actually happened, and since that happened, it mattered, about pets, or soldiers, or battles, something real, something of his own, wait, what, but, it flew by, it disappeared, someone's name, was there, too, or not, but, that flew by, too, loudly, into darkness unknown, unreachable, stolen, stolen, by someone high up, or perhaps far below, stolen, but then, even that thought dispersed, with a whimper, and now, now, now, now, empty, now, now, now---and hadn't enough been taken away already?!!---what had been done to him??????!!!! WHY????!!! FOR WHAT REASON???!!!!-----anger filled him, filled everything, though he knew not why, anger at the loss of maybe some memory, an artificial loss, it seemed, forced loss, violation, that never had to be, but---now, now, now, now, now, now---all that, too, disappeared, all traces, of that feeling, suddenly dispersed or buried, flew by, flew by, flew by, quietly, in pain, and, to him now, now, now, to Shiro now, it all disappeared, he couldn't quite catch it, was perhaps to weak, it all didn't matter perhaps, but even so, it flew by----all the meaning that was never---(<em>Hepta yelled: and now you don't even remember me?! You're alive only because I let you out and talked to you, unlike all other empty shells, and you know it, you know it. How dare you forget your lifegiver</em>butHeptawaswrongwhoHeptawhoisthatHepta, who lives to remember, too, but, that's not the point....Hepta who only did that for a job never for Thirty Nine anyway and never did anything for others just chose Thirty Nine at random whoandthenthewitchmadeimprovementstothatrandomchoicesinceitseemedtobeworkingbutwhoknowswhoknowswhoknowsIF) --- (who----there was never---- he never met---- who????_ ------______------________------and even so, even that, dispersed, vanished, all thought, maybe never meant---but if ever did----flew by------andthenforgotten-----by even him-------.</p><p>Signifying nothing.</p><p>****</p><p>Somewhere deep down, unsconsciously, unreachable but reached, there was somewhere. Somewhere. Somewhere, where a young man, with no name, he....With all odds against him, as if this was rigged from the very start, he fought--- and lost---</p><p>---because he was built to lose---</p><p>And yet, he tried, because he didn't accept that, he'd never accept that, he was--- he WAS--- he would be--- he could be---</p><p>---and yet, it all dispersed-------</p><p>**********</p><p>
  <em>Don't expect me to be here.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>************</em>
</p><p>
  <em>What's wrong with your muscles?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Nothing. Just what happens when you get to be an oldtimer</em>
</p><p>
  <em>**************************************************************************</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Your secret's safe with me, Katie.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>****************</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Take care of your father.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>**************************************************************__________------****************************</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Form Voltron!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>**************************************************************____________________---------********************************</em>
</p><p>Signifying nothing.</p><p>***************************************</p><p>He woke up and escaped the Galra ship.</p><p>It felt right, but it didn't.</p><p>Why?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>A/N:</p><p>The end of this ficlet.</p><p>I can now translate the fable if anyone wants to see it. It, and ep ‘Journey’ are the whole inspiration for this ficlet, after all.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A/N: I'll translate Krasicki's famous fable "Ptaszki w klatce" (I've used it whole up there as fic's, hm, motto?) at the end of this on the whole short fic, so, in July, I guess? In the meantime, I'm sure there are professional English translators, if anyone really wants to know. /shrugs. Heh. :) Meanwhile, I'm rereading "Thrawn", so there will be new chapter of "City with No Chiss" for sure in either June or August. BRB.</p><p>A/N 2: Headcanonish completely, just for language in my ficverses, but why the heck not, 'daibazaal' sometimes, in slang, among younger (well, at some range) Galrans functions sometimes as a curseword. It should be very obvious what it means. XD</p></blockquote></div></div>
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